What I'm Reading: March 16, '06
Since I said that my primary reason to blog would be to tell what I'm reading, I guess I'll do that. I suppose I should add that I'm an avid reader. That's probably obvious, but I state it here for the record!
So...what am I reading? Tears of Autumn, by Charles McCarry (The Overlook Press, 1974).
This novel posits that the plot to assassinate JFK was conceived and launched from Vietnam in retaliation for the coup against then-President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem and his subsequent murder. I discovered this book while reading a non-fiction book that lays out this theory in more detail and with more historical perspective. That book is Triangle of Death, by Brad O'Leary and L.E. Seymour (WND Books, 2003). Maybe I'll write more at a later time about my interestes in the JFK assassination, but for now I'll just say that I find this theory interesting and well put forward though not fully persuasive. I'm still a mafia-done-it guy.
McCarry's book is very understated. It brings to mind Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in its pacing and its "take" on the real work of espionage. The protagonist is very terse, very cynical, goes about unarmed...the very antithesis of James Bond et. al. I should add that the dust jacket says McCarry was with the CIA for a decade. Hmmmm.
Besides the seeming verisimillitude, I like the language in this book. While not overladen with imagery, there are some very beautiful -- and occasionally some very jarring -- ones when used. And I like the etheric mood he evokes. In truth, I think the book is as much about the very early years of the Vietnam conflict and the country and culture itself as it is about the JFK assassination. It was written a year after the U.S.'s final exit from Saigon, so I think it is infused with the sadness of the era. For the reader, it's eerie to read a story set before the heavy U.S. involvement...and know what's coming. (By the way, another proposition in this book is that some segment of the Vietnamese conceived of hooking large numbers of the expected American troops on heroin in revenge for the American presence in their country.)
My chief complaints so far actually revolve around some of the very things I also like. I think the pacing is a little slow, especially at the beginning. I think he does this to set that ethereal mood, but...well, it's a little slow. The other complaint is that sometimes it's very hard to understand what's being said. The characters (often intentionally) speak in riddle-like sentences, or in flip, cynical phrases that aren't always easy to follow.
More to follow.
So...what am I reading? Tears of Autumn, by Charles McCarry (The Overlook Press, 1974).
This novel posits that the plot to assassinate JFK was conceived and launched from Vietnam in retaliation for the coup against then-President of South Vietnam Ngo Dinh Diem and his subsequent murder. I discovered this book while reading a non-fiction book that lays out this theory in more detail and with more historical perspective. That book is Triangle of Death, by Brad O'Leary and L.E. Seymour (WND Books, 2003). Maybe I'll write more at a later time about my interestes in the JFK assassination, but for now I'll just say that I find this theory interesting and well put forward though not fully persuasive. I'm still a mafia-done-it guy.
McCarry's book is very understated. It brings to mind Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in its pacing and its "take" on the real work of espionage. The protagonist is very terse, very cynical, goes about unarmed...the very antithesis of James Bond et. al. I should add that the dust jacket says McCarry was with the CIA for a decade. Hmmmm.
Besides the seeming verisimillitude, I like the language in this book. While not overladen with imagery, there are some very beautiful -- and occasionally some very jarring -- ones when used. And I like the etheric mood he evokes. In truth, I think the book is as much about the very early years of the Vietnam conflict and the country and culture itself as it is about the JFK assassination. It was written a year after the U.S.'s final exit from Saigon, so I think it is infused with the sadness of the era. For the reader, it's eerie to read a story set before the heavy U.S. involvement...and know what's coming. (By the way, another proposition in this book is that some segment of the Vietnamese conceived of hooking large numbers of the expected American troops on heroin in revenge for the American presence in their country.)
My chief complaints so far actually revolve around some of the very things I also like. I think the pacing is a little slow, especially at the beginning. I think he does this to set that ethereal mood, but...well, it's a little slow. The other complaint is that sometimes it's very hard to understand what's being said. The characters (often intentionally) speak in riddle-like sentences, or in flip, cynical phrases that aren't always easy to follow.
More to follow.
Labels: books
posted by Your_pops at 2:15 PM
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